Power management system and power management method

ABSTRACT

A power management system including a management apparatus configured to assign divided computation processing constituting at least a part of predetermined computation processing to a distributed computing device placed in a facility, wherein the management apparatus includes a receiver configured to receive a message including an information element indicating a type of a power source configured to identify electrical power allowed as electrical power to be used by the distributed computing device, and a controller configured to perform assignment processing to assign the divided computation processing to the distributed computing device based on the type of the power source.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a National Phase of International ApplicationNumber PCT/JP2020/048783 filed Dec. 25, 2020 and claims priority toJapanese Application Number 2019-238766 filed Dec. 27, 2019.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a power management system and a powermanagement method.

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years, techniques for performing predetermined computationprocessing by using two or more distributed computing devices placed intwo or more facilities (hereinafter, referred to as distributedprocessing techniques) have been proposed. For example, thepredetermined computation processing may include mining processing ofadding a transaction record of virtual currency to a transaction ledger,and may include rendering processing of generating an image from variousimage parameters.

Under such a background, a technique for determining pieces ofcomputation processing to be assigned to distributed computing devicesbased on surplus power in facilities in which the distributed computingdevices are placed has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).

In the above-described distributed processing technique, it ispreferable to reflect the policy of each facility when the pieces of thecomputation processing are assigned to the distributed computing devicesbecause the distributed computing devices are placed in respectivefacilities. Although various kinds of policy are conceivable as thepolicy of each facility, the above-described technique may not reflectsuch a policy, and there is a possibility that the pieces of thecomputation processing cannot be appropriately assigned to thedistributed computing devices.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

-   Patent Document 1: JP 2019-101797 A

SUMMARY

A first aspect is a power management system including a managementapparatus configured to assign divided computation processingconstituting at least a part of predetermined computation processing toa distributed computing device placed in a facility, wherein themanagement apparatus includes a receiver configured to receive a messageincluding an information element indicating a type of a power sourceconfigured to identify electrical power allowed as electrical power tobe used by the distributed computing device, and a controller configuredto perform assignment processing to assign the divided computationprocessing to the distributed computing device based on the type of thepower source.

A second aspect is a power management method to be used in a powermanagement system including a management apparatus configured to assigndivided computation processing constituting at least a part ofpredetermined computation processing to a distributed computing deviceplaced in a facility, and the power management method includesreceiving, by the management apparatus, a message including aninformation element indicating a type of a power source configured toidentify electrical power allowed as electrical power to be used by thedistributed computing device, and performing, by the managementapparatus, assignment processing to assign the divided computationprocessing to the distributed computing device based on the type of thepower source.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a power management system 100 accordingto an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a power management apparatus 300according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an assignment management apparatus 400according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a predetermined computation processingaccording to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a predetermined computation processingaccording to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a predetermined computation processingaccording to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a predetermined computation processingaccording to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a predetermined computation processingaccording to the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an assignment-related message accordingto the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an assignment-related messageaccording to the embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an assignment-related messageaccording to the embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a power-related message according tothe embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a power management method according tothe embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a power management method according toModification Example 3.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. Note that in the following description of the drawings, thesame or similar components will be denoted by the same or similarreference signs. However, the drawings are schematic.

Embodiment Power Management System

A power management system according to an embodiment will be describedbelow. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , a power management system 100 includesfacilities 200, a power management apparatus 300, an assignmentmanagement apparatus 400, and a request server 500.

The facilities 200 are connected to each other through a bulk powersystem 20. The bulk power system 20 is connected to a power line 21 anda power line 22. The bulk power system 20, the power line 21, and thepower line 22 are a power network that supplies electrical power to thefacilities 200. In the following, the bulk power system 20, the powerline 21, and the power line 22 are collectively referred to as a powersystem 20.

The facilities 200, the power management apparatus 300, the assignmentmanagement apparatus 400, and the request server 500 are connectedthrough a network 30. The network 30 may include the Internet, or mayinclude a mobile communication network. The network 30 may include avirtual private network (VPN).

The facilities 200 each include a distributed power supply 210, a PCS220, a control device 230, and a computing device 240. In FIG. 1 , afacility 200A, a facility 200B, and a facility 200C are exemplified, asthe facilities 200. The facility 200A and the facility 200B areconnected to the power line 21, and the facility 200C is connected tothe power line 22. Each of the facilities 200 may be placed at positionsgeographically separated from one another. Here, the facility 200A, thefacility 200B, and the facility 200C have a similar configuration, andthus, will be collectively referred to as the facility 200 in thefollowing description.

The distributed power supply 210 is a device that outputs electricalpower. The distributed power supply 210 may be a device that utilizesrenewable energy to output electrical power. For example, thedistributed power supply 210 may be a solar cell device. The distributedpower supply 210 may be a power storage device or may be a fuel celldevice.

The PCS 220 is a power adjustment device configured to convert directcurrent power output from the distributed power supply 210 toalternating current power.

The control device 230 is an apparatus (for example, an energymanagement system (EMS)) for managing the electrical power of thefacility 200. For example, the control device 230 may manage the outputpower of the distributed power supply 210, and may control the outputpower of the distributed power supply 210. The control device 230 may beprovided by a cloud service utilizing a server placed on the network 30.

The computing device 240 is an example of the distributed computingdevice placed in the facility 200. The computing device 240 is onlyrequired to be a device that performs some computation processing. Forexample, the computing device 240 may include a graphics processing unit(GPU), may include a tensor processing unit (TPU), may include a microprocessing unit (MPU), or may include a central processing unit (CPU).

Although not particularly limited, the computing device 240 may be adevice that processes at least some functions of the control device 230.The computing device 240 may be a device that processes at least somefunctions of a computer or server placed in the facility 200.

Although not particularly illustrated in FIG. 1 , the facility 200 mayhave a load device such as an air conditioner, or an illuminationdevice. The facility 200 may have a wattmeter (for example, a smartmeter) that measures at least one of electrical power from the powersystem 20 to the facility 200 (hereinafter, referred to as flow power)and electrical power from the facility 200 to the power system 20(hereinafter, referred to as reverse flow power).

The power management apparatus 300 manages the facilities 200. An entitythat manages the power management apparatus 300 may be an electricityretailer, may be an electricity generation utility, may be anelectricity transmission and distribution utility, or may be an operatorsuch as a resource aggregator.

The power management apparatus 300 may transmit a control message foradjusting the power supply and demand balance of the power system 20 tothe facility 200. For example, the power management apparatus 300 maytransmit a flow control message (for example, a demand response (DR))that requests control of flow power and may transmit a reverse flowcontrol message that requests control of reverse flow power.Furthermore, the power management apparatus 300 may transmit a powersupply control message that controls an operating state of thedistributed power supply 210. A degree of control of the flow power orthe reverse flow power may be expressed as an absolute value (forexample, XX kW), or may be expressed as a relative value (for example,XX %). Alternatively, the degree of control of the flow power or thereverse flow power may be expressed by using two or more levels. Thedegree of control of the flow power or the reverse flow power may beexpressed by a power charge (real time pricing (RTP)) defined by thecurrent power supply and demand balance, and may be expressed by a powercharge (time of use (TOU)) defined by the past power supply and demandbalance.

The power management apparatus 300 may manage the distributed powersupply 210 placed in the facility 200 and may manage the PCS 220 placedin the facility 200. The power management apparatus 300 may include amaintenance device that monitors the operating state of the distributedpower supply 210.

The assignment management apparatus 400 is an example of a managementapparatus that assigns divided computation processing that constitutesat least a part of predetermined computation processing to the computingdevice 240 placed in the facility 200.

The request server 500 is a server that requests the predeterminedcomputation processing. The predetermined computation processing mayinclude first computation processing that is constantly generated andsecond computation processing that is temporarily generated. The firstcomputation processing may include mining processing to be used inblockchain technology. The second computation processing may includerendering processing that generates image processing ofthree-dimensional images or the like.

Power Management Apparatus

The power management apparatus according to the embodiment will bedescribed below. As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the power managementapparatus 300 includes a communicator 310, a management unit 320, and acontroller 330.

The communicator 310 includes a communication module. The communicationmodule may be a wireless communication module compliant with standardssuch as IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n, ZigBee, Wi-SUN, LTE, SG, and the like, ormay be a wired communication module compliant with standards such asIEEE 802.3.

The communicator 310 receives a message associated with the electricalpower of the facility 200 (hereinafter, referred to as a power-relatedmessage) from the facility 200. The communicator 310 transmits thepower-related message to the assignment management apparatus 400.

The power-related message may include an information element indicatingan actual value of the output power of the distributed power supply 210.The power-related message may include an information element indicatingan actual value of the power consumption of the facility 200. Thepower-related message may include an information element indicating anactual value of surplus power generated in the facility 200. Thepower-related message may include an information element indicating aprediction value of the output power of the distributed power supply210. The power-related message may include an information elementindicating a prediction value of the power consumption of the facility200. The power-related message may include an information elementindicating a prediction value of surplus power generated in the facility200. The surplus power may be a difference between the output power ofthe distributed power supply 210 and the power consumption of thefacility 200. The power-related message may include an informationelement indicating whether or not the flow power or the reverse flowpower of the facility 200 is controlled by the control message describedabove.

The management unit 320 includes a memory such as a non-volatile memoryand/or a storage medium such as a hard disc drive (HDD), and storesvarious pieces of information.

The management unit 320 manages information related to the electricalpower of the facility 200 (hereinafter, referred to as power-relatedinformation). For example, the management unit 320 may manage thepower-related information such as the actual value of the flow power ofthe facility 200, the actual value of the reverse flow power of thefacility 200, the actual value of the output power of the distributedpower supply 210, the actual value of the power consumption of thefacility 200, and the actual value of the surplus power of the facility200. These pieces of the power-related information may be used forprediction of the flow power of the facility 200, the reverse flow powerof the facility 200, the output power of the distributed power supply210, the power consumption of the facility 200, the surplus power of thefacility 200, and the like. The management unit 320 may manage anoperation plan of the distributed power supply 210.

The controller 330 may include at least one processor. The at least oneprocessor may be configured of a single integrated circuit (IC) or aplurality of circuits (such as integrated circuits and/or discretecircuits) connected so as to be capable of communicating with eachother.

The controller 330 controls elements constituting the power managementapparatus 300. For example, the controller 330 may determine whether ornot the power supply and demand balance of the power system 20 needs tobe adjusted. When necessary, the controller 330 may indicate thetransmission of the control message described above to the communicator310. When requested from an upper node (for example, a power company) ofthe power management apparatus 300, the controller 330 may instruct thecommunicator 310 to transmit the control message described above.

Assignment Management Apparatus

The assignment management apparatus according to the embodiment will bedescribed below. As illustrated in FIG. 3 , the assignment managementapparatus 400 includes a communicator 410, a management unit 420, and acontroller 430.

The communicator 410 includes a communication module. The communicationmodule may be a wireless communication module compliant with standardssuch as IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n, ZigBee, Wi-SUN, LTE, SG, and the like, ormay be a wired communication module compliant with standards such asIEEE 802.3.

The communicator 410 constitutes a receiver configured to receivevarious messages from the facility 200, the power management apparatus300, or the request server 500. The communicator 410 receives thepower-related message from the power management apparatus 300. Thecommunicator 410 may receive the power-related message from the facility200. The communicator 410 may receive, from the facility 200, a messagerelated to assignment of divided computation processing (hereinafter,referred to as an assignment-related message). The communicator 410transmits an assignment instruction of divided computation processing tothe facility 200.

The assignment-related message may include an information elementindicating a source type, may include an information element indicatinga processing type, and may include an information element indicatingwhether execution is possible or not (executability). Details of theseinformation elements will be described later (see FIGS. 9 to 11 ).

The management unit 420 includes a memory such as a non-volatile memoryand/or a storage medium such as a hard disc drive (HDD), and storesvarious pieces of information.

The management unit 420 may manage the predetermined computationprocessing requested from the request server 500. The management unit420 may manage the power-related information of the facility 200. Thepower-related information may be identified by a message related to theelectrical power of the facility 200. The management unit 420 may manageinformation related to assignment of divided computation processing(hereinafter, referred to as assignment-related information). Theassignment-related information may be identified by a message related toassignment of divided computation processing.

Furthermore, the management unit 420 may manage the computation capacityof each computing device 240 as assignment-related information. Thecomputation capacity of each computing device 240 is a parameter thataffects the processing time of divided computation processing.

The controller 430 may include at least one processor. The at least oneprocessor may be configured of a single integrated circuit (IC) or aplurality of circuits (such as integrated circuits and/or discretecircuits) connected so as to be capable of communicating with eachother.

The controller 430 controls elements constituting the assignmentmanagement apparatus 400. In the embodiment, the controller 430constitutes a controller configured to perform assignment processingthat assigns divided computation processing to the computing device 240.The controller 430 may perform the assignment processing based on a typeof a power source (hereinafter, referred to as first assignmentprocessing). The controller 430 may perform the assignment processingbased on a type of corresponding computation processing that thecomputing device 240 can handle (hereinafter, referred to as secondassignment processing). The controller 430 may perform the assignmentprocessing based on the executability of the computation processing(hereinafter, referred to as third assignment processing). Thecontroller 430 may perform the assignment processing based on at leastone of the prediction value of the output power of the distributed powersupply 210 and the prediction value of the power consumption of thefacility 200 (hereinafter, referred to as fourth assignment processing).

Details of the first assignment processing, the second assignmentprocessing, the third assignment processing, and the fourth assignmentprocessing will be described later.

Predetermined Computation Processing

The predetermined computation processing according to the embodimentwill be described below.

First, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6 , the predetermined computationprocessing is processing capable of being divided into two or morepieces of divided computation processing. Here, a case in which thepredetermined computation processing can be divided into four pieces ofdivided computation processing will be exemplified. For example, acomputation load decreases in the order of divided computationprocessing #1, #2, #3, and #4. Under such an assumption, for the dividedcomputation processing #1 having the largest computation load, a starttime is defined as time TS and an end time is defined as time TE.However, the embodiment is not limited to this, any number of pieces ofdivided computation processing is applicable, and any computation loadof each piece of divided computation processing is also applicable.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4 , the assignment managementapparatus 400 may assign divided computation processing to the computingdevice 240 such that the start time of each piece of divided computationprocessing is adjusted to the time TS. Alternatively, as illustrated inFIG. 5 , the assignment management apparatus 400 may assign dividedcomputation processing to the computing device 240 such that the endtime of each piece of divided computation processing is adjusted to thetime TE. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 6 , the assignmentmanagement apparatus 400 may assign divided computation processing tothe computing device 240 such that each piece of divided computationprocessing is performed in a period between the time TS and the time TE.Each piece of divided computation processing may be performedcontinuously or intermittently.

Although omitted for the sake of simplicity of explanation in FIGS. 4 to6 , the processing time of divided computation processing may varydepending on the processing capacity of the computing device 240assigned with the divided computation processing.

Second, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the predetermined computationprocessing may include the first computation processing that isconstantly generated and the second computation processing that istemporarily generated. The first computation processing may includemining processing to be used in blockchain technology. The secondcomputation processing may include rendering processing that generatesimage processing of three-dimensional images or the like.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the first computation processing may beprocessing that is constantly generated, and thus, may be managed in aseparated manner for each target period (for example, one hour, one day,or the like). In such a case, the assignment management apparatus 400may divide the first computation processing for each target period intotwo or more pieces of divided computation processing, and may assigneach piece of the divided computation processing to the computing device240. For example, the assignment management apparatus 400 may divide thefirst computation processing for the target period #n into two or morepieces of divided computation processing, and then, may assign eachpiece of the divided computation processing to the computing device 240.The same applies to the first computation processing of the targetperiod #n+1 and the target period #n+2.

As illustrated in FIG. 8 , the second computation processing may bemanaged for each target processing, because the second computationprocessing is processing that is temporarily generated. In such a case,the assignment management apparatus 400 may divide the secondcomputation processing for each target processing into two or morepieces of divided computation processing, and then, may assign eachpiece of the divided computation processing to the computing device 240.For example, the assignment management apparatus 400 may divide thesecond computation processing of the target processing #n into two ormore pieces of divided computation processing, and then, may assign eachpiece of the divided computation processing to the computing device 240.The same applies to the second computation processing of the targetprocessing #n+1.

In FIG. 8 , the case in which the second computation processing ismanaged for each target processing is exemplified, but the embodiment isnot limited thereto. The second computation processing may be managed ina separated manner for each target period, as in the case of the firstcomputation processing.

Although the first computation processing and the second computationprocessing are separately described for the sake of simplicity ofexplanation in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the processing time of the firstcomputation processing and the processing time of the second computationprocessing may temporally overlap with each other.

Assignment-Related Message

The assignment-related message according to the embodiment will bedescribed below.

First, as illustrated in FIG. 9 , the assignment-related message mayinclude an information element (for example, a source type) indicating atype of power source that identifies electrical power allowed aselectrical power to be used in the computing device 240. Such anassignment-related message may be referred to as a source type message.

The power source includes at least one of the surplus power of thefacility 200, the output power of the distributed power supply 210placed in the facility 200, and system power to be supplied from thepower system 20 connected to the facility 200. In other words, theinformation element that can be used as the source type may be one ormore information elements selected from among the surplus power, theoutput power of a solar cell device, the output power of a power storagedevice, the output power of a fuel cell device, and the system power.The source type may be optionally set by a user of the facility 200.

Here, the surplus power refers to electrical power that is not consumedby the facility 200 and is left over. For example, the surplus power maybe a difference between the output power of the distributed power supply210 and the power consumption of the facility 200. In a time period inwhich the power storage device performs charging, the power consumptionof the facility 200 may include the charging power of the power storagedevice. The surplus power may be defined with the output power of thesolar cell device as an upper limit. Note that, before the assignmentprocessing of divided computation processing is performed, electricalpower to be required for the divided computation processing is notincluded in the power consumption of the facility 200.

Each of the output power of the solar cell device, the output power ofthe power storage device, and the output power of the fuel cell deviceis one example of the output power of the distributed power supply 210.The system power means electrical power to be supplied from the powersystem 20 to the facility 200.

Second, as illustrated in FIG. 10 , the assignment-related message mayinclude an information element (for example, a processing type)indicating a type of corresponding computation processing that thecomputing device 240 can handle. Such an assignment-related message maybe referred to as a processing type message.

The corresponding computation processing may include the firstcomputation processing that is constantly generated and the secondcomputation processing that is temporarily generated. In other words,the information element that can be used as the processing type may beone or more information elements selected from among the firstcomputation processing and the second computation processing. Theprocessing type may be optionally set by a user of the facility 200.

Third, as illustrated in FIG. 11 , the assignment-related message mayinclude an information element (for example, executability) indicatingthe executability of the computation processing by the computing device240. Such an assignment-related message may be referred to as anexecutability message.

The executability message may include an information element (forexample, a power state) indicating whether or not the facility 200 is ina state of power outage, may include an information element indicatingthe usability of the power source that identifies electrical powerallowed as electrical power to be used in the computing device 240, andmay include an information element indicating the operation plan of thedistributed power supply 210 placed in the facility 200. In other words,the information element indicating executability may be one or moreinformation elements selected from among the power state, the usabilityof the power source, and the operation plan of the distributed powersupply 210. The executability can be optionally set by a user of thefacility 200.

Here, the power state may include an information element providing acurrent state in response to power outage of the facility 200, and mayinclude an information element providing a current state in response topower recovery of the facility 200. The power state may include a poweroutage plan of the facility 200. The power outage plan may include atime period during which power outage occurs in a target period (forexample, one hour, one day, or the like). The power outage means thatsupply of electrical power from the power system 20 to the facility 200stops. Thus, even in the state of the power outage, electrical power maybe supplied from the distributed power supply 210 (a self-sustainingoperation state).

The usability of the power source is information indicating whether thepower source described above can be used or not as electrical power tobe used by the computing device 240. The operation plan of thedistributed power supply 210 is an operating state of the distributedpower supply 210 that is planned in a target period (for example, onehour, one day, or the like). The operation plan may include amaintenance plan of the distributed power supply 210 and may include aplan developed by the control device 230 described above.

In FIGS. 9 to 11 , a header may include an information element thatidentifies the facility 200 that is a source of a message. The headermay include an information element that identifies the assignmentmanagement apparatus 400 that is a destination of a message. The headermay include an information element that identifies a type of a message.

In FIGS. 9 to 11 , a case is exemplified in which the source typemessage, the processing type message, and the executability message areseparately defined. However, the embodiment is not limited to thisexample. Specifically, the assignment-related message may include two ormore information elements selected from among the source type, theprocessing type, and the executability. For example, theassignment-related message may be a message that identifies a type ofcorresponding computation processing for each power source.Alternatively, the assignment-related message may be a message thatidentifies, for each power source, the executability of the computationprocessing by the computing device 240. Alternatively, theassignment-related message may be a message that identifies, for eachpower source, the type of corresponding computation processing and theexecutability of the computation processing by the computing device 240.

Power-Related Message

The power-related message according to the embodiment will be describedbelow.

The power-related message includes an information element (for example,the power-related information) for predicting an amount of electricalpower that can be used in the computing device 240. As described above,the power-related information may include an information elementindicating at least one of an actual value of the output power of thedistributed power supply 210, a prediction value of the output power ofthe distributed power supply 210, an actual value of the powerconsumption of the facility 200, a prediction value of the powerconsumption of the facility 200, an actual value of the surplus power ofthe facility 200, and a prediction value of the surplus power of thefacility 200. The actual value may be used for prediction of theprediction value. The power-related information may be identified by thecontrol device 230 described above.

Here, the output power of the distributed power supply 210 may includethe output power of a solar cell device, may include the output power ofa power storage device, and may include the output power of a fuel celldevice. The prediction value of the output power of the solar celldevice may include an amount of solar radiation to the solar celldevice. The prediction value of the output power of the power storagedevice may include a residual amount of electricity of the power storagedevice. The prediction value of the output power of the fuel cell devicemay include a rated output of the fuel cell device.

In FIG. 12 , the header may include an information element thatidentifies the facility 200 that is a source of a message. The headermay include an information element that identifies the assignmentmanagement apparatus 400 that is a destination of a message. The headermay include an information element that identifies a type of a message.

First Assignment Processing

First assignment processing will be described below. The assignmentmanagement apparatus 400 assigns divided computation processing to thecomputing device 240 based on at least a type of power source. The typeof power source can be identified by using the source type messagedescribed above (see FIG. 9 ).

For example, the assignment management apparatus 400 (controller 430)may perform the assignment processing based on a power selling price ofthe surplus power when the power source is the surplus power of thefacility 200. Specifically, the assignment management apparatus 400 mayassign divided computation processing to the computing device 240 whenthe power selling price of the surplus power is lower than apredetermined threshold value, without assigning divided computationprocessing to the computing device 240 when the power selling price ofthe surplus power is higher than the predetermined threshold value. Notethat being lower than the predetermined threshold value is not limitedto being below the predetermined threshold value, and may also include acase of being equal to or lower than the predetermined threshold value,and the same applies to the following description. According to such aconfiguration, it is possible to reduce disadvantages of the facility200 caused by the assignment of divided computation processing. Forexample, when the power selling price of the surplus power is changedduring computation processing based on estimated processing time, theassignment management apparatus 400 may calculate a power selling priceper amount of electrical power to be used by the computing device 240,and may assign divided computation processing to the computing device240 when the power selling price is lower than the predeterminedthreshold value. As another condition, the assignment managementapparatus 400 does not need to assign divided computation processing tothe computing device 240 when the power selling price before the changeor after the change is higher than the predetermined threshold value,and may assign divided computation processing to the computing device240 only when the power selling price before the change and after thechange is lower than the predetermined threshold value.

For example, the assignment management apparatus 400 (controller 430)may perform the assignment processing based on the prediction value ofthe output power of the distributed power supply 210 when the powersource is the output power of the distributed power supply 210. Theprediction value of the output power of the distributed power supply 210can be identified by the power-related message described above.Specifically, the assignment management apparatus 400 may identify aprocessing load and processing time of divided computation processing tobe assigned to the computing device 240 based on the prediction value ofthe output power. This is because the processing load and the processingtime that the computing device 240 can handle depend on the outputpower. The assignment management apparatus 400 may perform theassignment processing based on the prediction value of the output powerand the processing capacity of the computing device 240. According tosuch a configuration, divided computation processing can beappropriately assigned to the computing device 240.

For example, when the prediction value of the output power of thedistributed power supply 210 is higher than a predetermined value of theoutput power, processing is assigned to the computing device 240 of thefacility in which the distributed power supply 210 is placed. When theprediction value of the output power of the distributed power supply 210is lower than the predetermined value of the output power, processing isnot assigned to the computing device 240 of the facility in which thedistributed power supply 210 is placed. Furthermore, time when theprediction value of the output power of the distributed power supply 210becomes higher than the predetermined value of the output power may bepredicted. In this case, before the predicted time, the dividedcomputation processing that is scheduled to be later processed by thecomputing device 240 is sent to the computing device 240. Then, when thevalue of the output power of the distributed power supply 210 becomeshigher than the predetermined value of the output power, the computingdevice 240 starts the divided computation processing sent in advance.

Further, in addition to the prediction value of the output power of thedistributed power supply 210, duration time during which the outputpower continues to be higher than the predetermined value may bepredicted. The assignment management apparatus 400 may identify theprocessing load and the processing time of the divided computationprocessing to be assigned to the computing device 240 based on theduration time during which the output power is higher than thepredetermined value.

For example, in a case where the power source is a power storage device,the assignment management apparatus 400 (controller 430) may perform theassignment processing based on a residual amount of electricity of thepower storage device. The residual amount of electricity of the powerstorage device can be identified by the power-related message describedabove. Specifically, the assignment management apparatus 400 mayidentify a processing load and processing time of divided computationprocessing to be assigned to the computing device 240 based on theresidual amount of electricity of the power storage device. This isbecause the processing load and the processing time that the computingdevice 240 can handle depend on the residual amount of electricity. Theassignment management apparatus 400 may perform the assignmentprocessing based on the residual amount of electricity of the powerstorage device and the processing capacity of the computing device 240.According to such a configuration, divided computation processing can beappropriately assigned to the computing device 240.

For example, when the power source is system power, the assignmentmanagement apparatus 400 (controller 430) may perform the assignmentprocessing based on a power purchasing price of the system power.Specifically, the assignment management apparatus 400 may not assigndivided computation processing to the computing device 240 when thepower purchasing price of the system power is higher than apredetermined threshold value, and may assign divided computationprocessing to the computing device 240 when the power purchasing priceof the system power is lower than the predetermined threshold value.According to such a configuration, it is possible to reducedisadvantages of the facility 200 caused by the assignment of dividedcomputation processing. For example, when the purchasing price of thesystem power is changed during the computation processing based on theestimated processing time, the assignment management apparatus 400 maycalculate a power purchasing unit price per amount of electrical powerto be used by the computing device 240, and may assign dividedcomputation processing to the computing device 240 when the powerpurchasing unit price is lower than the predetermined threshold value.As another condition, the assignment management apparatus 400 does notneed to assign divided computation processing to the computing device240 when the power purchasing price before the change or after thechange is higher than the predetermined threshold value, and may assigndivided computation processing to the computing device 240 only when thepower purchasing price before the change and after the change is lowerthan the predetermined threshold value.

For example, the information element (source type) may be configured tobe capable of specifying two or more power source types as the powersource type. In such a case, when the surplus power and the system powerare specified as the power source types, the assignment managementapparatus 400 (controller 430) may identify the power source to be usedin the computing device 240 from among the two or more power sourcesbased on the power selling price of the surplus power and the powerpurchasing price of the system power, and may perform the assignmentprocessing based on the identified power source. Specifically, theassignment management apparatus 400 does not need to assign dividedcomputation processing to the computing device 240 in order to suppressa decrease in surplus power when the power selling price of the surpluspower is higher than the predetermined threshold value. The assignmentmanagement apparatus 400 may assign divided computation processing tothe computing device 240 within a range of the surplus power (in otherwords, within a range in which purchasing of the system power does notoccur) when the power selling price of the surplus power is lower thanthe predetermined threshold value and the power purchasing price of thesystem power is higher than the predetermined threshold value. Theassignment management apparatus 400 may assign divided computationprocessing to the computing device 240 under the assumption that thesurplus power and the system power are used when the power selling priceof the surplus power is lower than the predetermined threshold value andthe power purchasing price of the system power is lower than thepredetermined threshold value.

For example, the assignment management apparatus 400 (controller 430)may perform the assignment processing with two or more computing devicesindividually placed in two or more facilities being as targets, and mayperform the assignment processing such that the computing device 240 forwhich the identified power source is allowed as the power sourcesatisfies a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition mayinclude a condition that the number of computing devices 240(hereinafter, referred to as green computing devices 240) that use, asthe power source, the output power of the distributed power supply 210(for example, a solar cell device) that uses renewable energy to outputelectrical power is a certain number or more. The predeterminedcondition may include a condition that a rate of the number of greencomputing devices 240 with respect to the total number of the computingdevices 240 that process predetermined computation processing is equalto or larger than a certain rate. The predetermined condition mayinclude a condition that the power consumption of the green computingdevices 240 is equal to or larger than a certain amount. Thepredetermined condition may include a condition that a rate of the powerconsumption of the green computing devices 240 with respect to the totalpower consumption of the computing devices 240 that processpredetermined computation processing is equal to or larger than acertain rate.

For example, the assignment management apparatus 400 (controller 430)may perform the assignment processing based on a request level of thepredetermined computation processing. The request level may include arequest compensation for the predetermined computation processing, andmay include urgency or priority of the predetermined computationprocessing.

In such a case, the predetermined threshold value that is compared tothe power selling price of the surplus power or the power purchasingprice of the system power may be set based on the request level of thepredetermined computation processing, and when the power selling priceof the surplus power or the power purchasing price of the system poweris lower than the predetermined threshold value, divided computationprocessing may be assigned to the computing device 240. For example, thehigher the request compensation is, the higher a threshold value is setas the predetermined threshold value. The predetermined threshold valuemay be equal to the request compensation or may be different from therequest compensation. Similarly, the higher the urgency or priority is,the higher a threshold value is set as the predetermined thresholdvalue.

Alternatively, the assignment management apparatus 400 may perform theassignment processing based on a cost of the output power of a powerstorage device (a cost required along with charging of the power storagedevice) and the request level of the predetermined computationprocessing. The assignment management apparatus 400 may perform theassignment processing based on a cost of the output power of a fuel celldevice (a cost required for power generation of the fuel cell device)and the request level of the predetermined computation processing.

Second Assignment Processing

Second assignment processing will be described below. The assignmentmanagement apparatus 400 assigns divided computation processing to thecomputing device 240 based on at least a type of correspondingcomputation processing. The type of corresponding computation processingcan be identified by using the processing type message described above(see FIG. 10 ). As described above, the predetermined computationprocessing may include the first computation processing that isconstantly generated and the second computation processing that istemporarily generated.

For example, the assignment management apparatus 400 (controller 430)does not assign divided computation processing to the computing device240 where the type of corresponding computation processing is not thefirst computation processing, but assigns divided computation processingto the computing device 240 where the type of corresponding computationprocessing is the first computation processing, when the predeterminedcomputation processing is the first computation processing. Similarly,the assignment management apparatus 400 does not assign dividedcomputation processing to the computing device 240 where the type ofcorresponding computation processing is not the second computationprocessing, but assigns divided computation processing to the computingdevice 240 where the type of corresponding computation processing is thesecond computation processing, when the predetermined computationprocessing is the second computation processing.

Here, a request compensation for the first computation processing may belower than a request compensation for the second computation processing.Furthermore, the second assignment processing may be combined with thefirst assignment processing described above.

Third Assignment Processing

Third assignment processing will be described below. The assignmentmanagement apparatus 400 assigns divided computation processing to thecomputing device 240 based on at least the executability of thecomputation processing by the computing device 240. The executability ofthe computation processing can be identified by using the executabilitymessage described above (see FIG. 11 ).

For example, the assignment management apparatus 400 (controller 430)assigns divided computation processing to the computing device 240 thatis capable of executing the computation processing without assigningdivided computation processing to the computing device 240 that is notcapable of executing the computation processing. In such a case, thethird assignment processing may be considered to be processing thatassigns divided computation processing to the computing device 240 in atime period in which the computation processing can be executed withoutassigning divided computation processing to the computing device 240 ina time period in which the computation processing cannot be executed.

Here, the third assignment processing may be combined with the firstassignment processing described above, and may be combined with thesecond assignment processing described above.

Fourth Assignment Processing

Fourth assignment processing will be described below. The assignmentmanagement apparatus 400 performs assignment processing based on atleast one of the prediction value of the output power of the distributedpower supply 210, the prediction value of the power consumption of thefacility 200, and the prediction value of the surplus power of thefacility 200. These prediction values can be identified by using thepower-related message described above (see FIG. 12 ).

For example, the assignment management apparatus 400 (controller 430)may perform the assignment processing based on the prediction value ofthe output power of the distributed power supply 210. The predictionvalue of the output power of the distributed power supply 210 can beused for prediction of the surplus power in a case in which the surpluspower of the facility 200 is used in the computation processing by thecomputing device 240. Of course, the prediction value of the outputpower of the distributed power supply 210 is useful in a case where theoutput power of the distributed power supply 210 is used in thecomputation processing by the computing device 240. In other words, theassignment management apparatus 400 may specify a processing load andprocessing time of divided computation processing to be assigned to thecomputing device 240 based on the prediction value of the output powerof the distributed power supply 210.

For example, the assignment management apparatus 400 (controller 430)may perform the assignment processing based on the prediction value ofthe power consumption of the facility 200. The prediction value of thepower consumption of the facility 200 can be used for prediction of thesurplus power in a case where the surplus power of the facility 200 isused in the computation processing by the computing device 240. In otherwords, the assignment management apparatus 400 may identify theprocessing load and the processing time of the divided computationprocessing to be assigned to the computing device 240 based on theprediction value of the power consumption of the facility 200.

For example, the assignment management apparatus 400 (controller 430)may perform the assignment processing based on the prediction value ofthe surplus power of the facility 200. Of course, the prediction valueof the surplus power of the facility 200 is useful in a case where thesurplus power of the facility 200 is used in the computation processingby the computing device 240. In other words, the assignment managementapparatus 400 may identify the processing load and the processing timeof the divided computation processing to be assigned to the computingdevice 240 based on the prediction value of the surplus power of thefacility 200.

For example, when the prediction value of the surplus power of thefacility 200 is higher than a predetermined value of electrical power,the processing is assigned to the computing device 240 of the facility200. When the prediction value of the surplus power of the facility 200is lower than the predetermined value of electrical power, theprocessing is not assigned to the computing device 240 of the facility200. Furthermore, time when the prediction value of the surplus power ofthe facility 200 becomes higher than the predetermined value ofelectrical power may be predicted. The time may be any combination of ayear, a month, a day, an hour, a minute, and a second. In addition,before the predicted time, the divided computation processing that isscheduled to be later processed is sent to the facility 200 or thecomputing device 240 of the facility 200. Then, when the value of thesurplus power of the facility 200 is higher than the predetermined valueof electrical power, the computing device 240 placed in the facility 200starts the divided computation processing that is sent in advance.

Further, in addition to the prediction value of the surplus power of thefacility 200, duration time during which electrical power continues tobe higher than the predetermined value may be predicted. The assignmentmanagement apparatus 400 may identify a processing load of the dividedcomputation processing to be assigned to the facility 200 such that theprocessing is completed within the duration time during which the outputpower is higher than the predetermined value.

Here, the fourth assignment processing may be combined with the firstassignment processing described above, may be combined with the secondassignment processing described above, and may be combined with thethird assignment processing described above.

Power Management Method

A power management method according to the embodiment will be describedbelow.

As illustrated in FIG. 13 , in step S11, each facility 200 transmits thepower-related message (see FIG. 12 ) to the power management apparatus300. Each facility 200 may transmit the power-related message at apredetermined cycle (for example, every 30 minutes).

In step S12, the power management apparatus 300 manages the electricalpower of each facility 200 based on the power-related message.

In step S13, the power management apparatus 300 transmits thepower-related message (see FIG. 12 ) to the assignment managementapparatus 400. The power management apparatus 300 may transmit thepower-related message at a predetermined cycle (for example, every 30minutes). Alternatively, the power management apparatus 300 may transmitthe power-related message in response to a request from the assignmentmanagement apparatus 400.

Here, the content of the power-related message transmitted in step S13may be different from the content of the power-related message receivedin step S11. For example, when the content of the power-related messagereceived in step S11 is an actual value, the content of thepower-related message transmitted in step S13 may be a prediction value.

In step S14, each facility 200 transmits the assignment-related message(see FIGS. 9 to 11 ) to the assignment management apparatus 400.

In step S15, the assignment management apparatus 400 receives aprocessing request for the predetermined computation processing from therequest server 500. The processing request may include a request levelof the predetermined computation processing.

In step S16, the assignment management apparatus 400 performs assignmentprocessing that assigns divided computation processing to the computingdevice 240. The assignment processing may include one or more types ofassignment processing selected from among the first assignmentprocessing to the fourth assignment processing described above.

In step S17, the assignment management apparatus 400 transmits anassignment instruction including an assignment result of step S16 toeach facility 200.

In step S18, each facility 200 (each computing device 240) performs thedivided computation processing in accordance with the assignmentinstruction.

In FIG. 13 , the processing of step S15 is performed after theprocessing of step S14, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

Actions and Effects

In the embodiment, the assignment management apparatus 400 may assigndivided computation processing to the computing device 240 based on thetype of power source. According to such a configuration, the dividedcomputation processing can be appropriately assigned to the computingdevice 240 in a manner that matches a user's desire of the facility 200.

In the embodiment, the assignment management apparatus 400 may assigndivided computation processing to the computing device 240 based on thetype of corresponding computation processing. According to such aconfiguration, the divided computation processing can be appropriatelyassigned to the computing device 240 in a manner that matches a user'sdesire of the facility 200.

In the embodiment, the assignment management apparatus 400 may assigndivided computation processing to the computing device 240 based on theexecutability by the computing device 240. According to such aconfiguration, the divided computation processing can be appropriatelyassigned to the computing device 240.

In the embodiment, the assignment management apparatus 400 may performthe assignment processing based on at least one of the prediction valueof the output power of the distributed power supply 210, the predictionvalue of the power consumption of the facility 200, and the predictionvalue of the surplus power of the facility 200. According to such aconfiguration, by identifying the processing load and processing time ofthe computation processing by the computing device 240, the dividedcomputation processing can be appropriately assigned to the computingdevice 240.

Modification Example 1

Modification Example 1 of the embodiment will be described below. In thefollowing, differences from the embodiment will be mainly described.

In the embodiment, the prediction value of the output power of thedistributed power supply 210 is identified by using the power-relatedmessage received from the facility 200 or the power management apparatus300. In contrast, in Modification Example 1, the prediction value of theoutput power of the distributed power supply 210 is identified based ona first parameter that affects the output power of the distributed powersupply 210.

Specifically, the assignment management apparatus 400 identifies theprediction value of the output power of the distributed power supply 210based on the first parameter. The assignment management apparatus 400may receive, from the facility 200, a message including an informationelement indicating the first parameter. The assignment managementapparatus 400 may receive a message including an information elementindicating the first parameter from an external device other than theassignment management apparatus 400. The external device other than theassignment management apparatus 400 may identify the prediction value ofthe output power of the distributed power supply 210 based on the firstparameter. In such a case, the external device may be the control device230 or the power management apparatus 300.

For example, when the distributed power supply 210 is a solar celldevice, the first parameter may include weather information in a regionwhere the facility 200 is placed. The weather information may includesunrise time, sunset time, weather, temperature, humidity, wind force, asunlight amount, and the like. In such a case, the external device maybe the power management apparatus 300, and may be an external serverthat manages the weather information.

In a case where the distributed power supply 210 is a power storagedevice, the first parameter may be an operation plan (for example, acharge-discharge plan) of the power storage device. The operation planmay be developed by the control device 230 of the facility 200. Theoperation plan may be developed by the power management apparatus 300.In these cases, the external device may be the control device 230 or thepower management apparatus 300.

When the distributed power supply 210 is a fuel cell device, the firstparameter may be an operation plan (for example, a maintenance plan) ofthe fuel cell device. The operation plan may be developed by the controldevice 230 of the facility 200. The operation plan may be developed bythe power management apparatus 300. In these cases, the external devicemay be the power management apparatus 300.

Furthermore, the first parameter may be an actual value (for example,history) of the output power of the distributed power supply 210. Asdescribed above, the actual value of the output power may be included inthe power-related message. In such a case, the external device may bethe control device 230 or the power management apparatus 300.

Modification Example 2

Modification Example 2 of the embodiment will be described below. In thefollowing, differences from the embodiment will be mainly described.

In the embodiment, the prediction value of the power consumption of thefacility 200 is identified by the power-related message received fromthe facility 200 or the power management apparatus 300. In contrast, inModification Example 2, the prediction value of the power consumption ofthe facility 200 is identified based on a second parameter that affectsthe power consumption of the facility 200.

Specifically, the assignment management apparatus 400 identifies theprediction value of the power consumption of the facility 200 based onthe second parameter. The assignment management apparatus 400 mayreceive, from the facility 200, a message including an informationelement indicating the second parameter. The assignment managementapparatus 400 may receive a message including the information elementindicating the second parameter from an external device other than theassignment management apparatus 400. The external device other than theassignment management apparatus 400 may identify the prediction value ofthe power consumption of the distributed power supply 210 based on thesecond parameter. In such a case, the external device may be the controldevice 230 or the power management apparatus 300.

The second parameter may be an operation plan of a load device placed inthe facility 200. The operation plan of the load device may be an energysaving plan based on energy saving policy of the facility 200 or thelike. The operation plan may be developed by the control device 230 ofthe facility 200. The operation plan may be developed by the powermanagement apparatus 300. In these cases, the external device may be thecontrol device 230 or the power management apparatus 300.

The second parameter may be an actual value (for example, history) ofthe power consumption of the facility 200. As described above, theactual value of the power consumption may be included in thepower-related message. In such a case, the external device may be thecontrol device 230 or the power management apparatus 300.

Modification Example 3

Modification Example 3 of the embodiment will be described below. In thefollowing, differences from Modification Example 1 and ModificationExample 2 will be mainly described.

Although not particularly described in Modification Example 1 andModification Example 2, the first parameter and the second parameter maybe an adjustment request for requesting adjusting the power supply anddemand balance of the power system 20. The adjustment request mayinclude suppression of flow power (demand response or negawatt trading)and may include suppression of reverse flow. Specifically, theassignment management apparatus 400 may perform the assignmentprocessing based on the adjustment request instructing the adjustment ofthe flow power to the facility 200 from the power system 20 connected tothe facility 200 or the reverse flow power from the facility 200 to thepower system 20.

Power Management Method

A power management method according to Modification Example 3 will bedescribed below. In FIG. 14 , a similar numeral sign is given toprocessing similar to that in FIG. 13 . The description of theprocessing similar to that in FIG. 13 is omitted.

As illustrated in FIG. 14 , in step S21, the power management apparatus300 receives an adjustment request for requesting adjusting the powersupply and demand balance of the power system 20. For example, the powermanagement apparatus 300 receives the adjustment request from an uppernode (for example, a power company) of the power management apparatus300.

In step S22, the power management apparatus 300 transmits, to eachfacility 200, a control message for adjusting the power supply anddemand balance of the power system 20 in response to the adjustmentrequest.

In step S23, the power management apparatus 300 transmits the adjustmentrequest to the assignment management apparatus 400. The content of theadjustment request transmitted in step S23 may be different from thecontent of the adjustment request received in step S21. For example, thecontent of the adjustment request transmitted in step S23 may be thecontent of the control message transmitted to each facility 200 in stepS22.

Note that the assignment management apparatus 400 may identify at leastone of the prediction value of the output power of the distributed powersupply 210 and the prediction value of the power consumption of thefacility 200 based on the adjustment request received in step S23.Furthermore, the assignment management apparatus 400 may identify theprediction value of the surplus power of the facility 200 based on theadjustment request received in step S23. In response to the adjustmentrequest, each facility 200 that receives the control message foradjusting the power supply and demand balance of the electrical power ofthe power system 20 may again transmit the power-related message to thepower management apparatus 300, and may transmit the assignment-relatedmessage to the assignment management apparatus 400.

Modification Example 4

Modification Example 4 of the embodiment will be described below. In thefollowing, differences from the embodiment will be mainly described.

In Modification Example 4, the facility 200 may include a first facilityconfigured to output reverse flow power to the power system 20. Thefirst facility may be a power generation facility that mainly outputselectrical power. The facility 200 may include a second facilityconfigured such that flow power is supplied from the power system 20.The second facility may be a demanding facility that mainly consumeselectrical power. For example, the first facility and the secondfacility may construct a self-consignment system that supplieselectrical power from the first facility to the second facility via thepower system 20. Under the background described above, the powermanagement system 100 may include a third party server that checksvarious matters.

The third party server may check a difference between a planned outputvalue of electrical power to be output from the first facility and anactual output value of electrical power output from the first facility.The planned output value and the actual output value are aggregatedevery unit time (for example, 30 minutes). When the difference betweenthe planned output value and the actual output value exceeds anallowable threshold value, a penalty may be imposed on an entity thatmanages the first facility. When the difference between the plannedoutput value and the actual output value does not exceed the allowablethreshold value, an incentive may be given to the entity that managesthe first facility. The penalty and the incentive may be financial.

The third party server may check a difference between a planned demandvalue of electrical power to be supplied to the second facility and anactual demand value of electrical power to be supplied to the secondfacility. The planned demand value and the actual demand value areaggregated every unit time (for example, 30 minutes). When thedifference between the planned demand value and the actual demand valueexceeds an allowable threshold value, a penalty may be imposed on anentity that manages the second facility. When the difference between theplanned demand value and the actual demand value does not exceed theallowable threshold value, an incentive may be given to the entity thatmanages the second facility. The penalty and the incentive may befinancial.

The third party server may check a difference between a plannedprocurement value to be procured from the power system 20 to the secondfacility and an actual procurement value procured from the power system20 to the second facility. The planned procurement value is a valueexcluding the planned output value from the planned demand value, andthe actual procurement value is a value excluding the actual outputvalue from the actual demand value. The planned procurement value andthe actual procurement value are aggregated every unit time (forexample, 30 minutes). When the difference between the plannedprocurement value and the actual procurement value exceeds an allowablethreshold value, a penalty may be imposed on the entity that manages thesecond facility. When the difference between the planned procurementvalue and the actual procurement value does not exceed the allowablethreshold value, an incentive may be given to the entity that managesthe second facility. The penalty and the incentive may be financial.

Note that the planned procurement value may be a value corrected inconsideration of a transmission loss from the first facility to thesecond facility. Alternatively, the planned output value may be a valuecorrected in consideration of the transmission loss from the firstfacility to the second facility. Similarly, the actual procurement valuemay be a value corrected in consideration of the transmission loss fromthe first facility to the second facility. Alternatively, the actualoutput value may be a value corrected in consideration of thetransmission loss from the first facility to the second facility. Theconsideration of the transmission loss means that a value correspondingto the transmission loss is subtracted from the planned value or theactual value.

In such a case, the assignment management apparatus 400 may performassignment processing for the first facility such that a differencebetween a planned value of reverse flow power (that is, the plannedoutput value described above) and a performance value of the reverseflow power (that is, the actual output value described above) is lessthan or equal to an allowable threshold value. In this way, theassignment processing may be performed such that the difference betweenthe planned output value and the actual output value does not exceed theallowable threshold value.

The assignment management apparatus 400 may perform assignmentprocessing for the first facility such that a difference between aplanned value of flow power (that is, the planned demand value describedabove) and an actual value of the flow power (that is, the actual demandvalue described above) is less than or equal to an allowable thresholdvalue. In this way, the assignment processing may be performed such thatthe difference between the planned demand value and the actual demandvalue does not exceed the allowable threshold value.

The assignment management apparatus 400 may perform assignmentprocessing in which the first facility and the second facility aretargets such that a difference between a planned value of procurementpower (namely, the planned procurement value described above) that is adifference between flow power and reverse flow power and an actual valueof the procurement power (namely, the actual procurement value describedabove) is equal to or less than an allowable threshold value. In thisway, the assignment processing may be performed such that the differencebetween the planned procurement value and the actual procurement valuedoes not exceed the allowable threshold value.

According to the configuration described above, a penalty to be imposedon the entity that manages the first facility or the second facility canbe reduced. However, the assignment management apparatus 400 may performthe assignment processing of divided computation processing to thecomputing device 240 even when the difference between the actual valueand the planned value exceeds the allowable threshold value, in a casewhere an incentive caused by the assignment processing of the dividedcomputation processing to the computing device 240 is larger than thepenalty described above.

Modification Example 5

Modification Example 5 of the embodiment will be described below. In thefollowing, differences from the embodiment will be mainly described.

In Modification Example 5, the assignment management apparatus 400 mayidentify, for each of the two or more facilities 200, total computationcapacity that can be processed by the computing device 240 based on theprediction value of the power consumption of the facility 200 and theprediction value of the output power of the distributed power supply 210for each unit time (for example, 30 minutes). The assignment managementapparatus 400 may perform the assignment processing such that completiontiming of the predetermined computation processing becomes early basedon the total computation capacity.

For example, the assignment management apparatus 400 predicts so-calledsurplus power for each unit time from a difference between theprediction value of the power consumption of the facility 200 and theprediction value of the output power of the distributed power supply 210per unit time for each of the three facilities 200. Then, in a casewhere the surplus power generated in each facility 200 is assumed to beused for processing for each unit time in the computing device 240placed in each facility, a total of computation processing amounts foreach unit time to be calculated for each facility is a total computationcapacity that can be processed for each unit time. In order to determinethe computation processing amounts for each unit time to be calculatedfor each facility, the assignment management apparatus 400 may store theprocessing capacity of the computing device 240 of each facility. Theprocessing capacity may be stored in association with a computationprocessing amount for each electrical power. The associating of thecomputation processing amount for each electrical power may be performedsuch that the larger the electrical power is, the larger the computationprocessing amount is.

Here, the total computation capacity may be affected by a magnitude ofelectrical power being available in the computing device 240 for eachunit time. In other words, when the electrical power being available inthe computing device 240 is large, the total computation capacity mayincrease, and when the electrical power being available in the computingdevice 240 is small, the total computation capacity may decrease. Atleast when the electrical power being available in the computing device240 is zero, the total computation capacity is also zero. The totalcomputation capacity may be affected by the processing capacity of thecomputing device 240.

For example, a case is considered in which after assignment processingof divided computation processing to the computing device 240 isperformed, reassignment processing of divided computation processing isnot performed. In such a case, it is conceivable that the totalcomputation capacity for n+1-th unit time is larger than the totalcomputation capacity for n-th unit time, and completion timing of thepredetermined computation processing when the predetermined computationprocessing is started in the n+1-th unit time is earlier than that whenthe predetermined computation processing is started in the n-th unittime. In such a case, the assignment management apparatus 400 performsassignment processing of divided computation processing to the computingdevice 240 based on the n+1-th unit time, rather than the n-th unittime. As the assignment processing, one or more types of assignmentprocessing selected from among the first assignment processing to thefourth assignment processing described above can be used.

For example, a case is considered in which reassignment processing ofdivided computation processing is performed after performing assignmentprocessing of divided computation processing to the computing device240. In such a case, it is conceivable that the total computationcapacity for the n+1-th unit time is larger than the total computationcapacity for the n-th unit time. The assignment management apparatus 400may perform the assignment processing of divided computation processingto the computing device 240 based on the n-th unit time, and perform thereassignment processing of divided computation processing to thecomputing device 240 based on the n+1-th unit time. Here, thereassignment processing may include processing for adding a newcomputing device 240 to the computing device 240 assigned with dividedcomputation processing in the n-th unit time, and may include processingfor replacing the computing device 240 assigned with divided computationprocessing in the n-th unit time with a new computing device 240.

Modification Example 6

Modification Example 6 of the embodiment will be described below. In thefollowing, differences from the embodiment will be mainly described.

In Modification Example 6, the assignment management apparatus 400 maytransmit, to the facility 200, a message including an informationelement specifying a type of divided computation processing to beassigned to the computing device 240. The type of divided computationprocessing includes at least one of the first computation processing andthe second computation processing.

In such a case, the facility 200 may determine whether or not to acceptthe execution of divided computation processing based on a compensationcorresponding to the type of divided computation processing to beassigned to the computing device 240. For example, the facility 200 maydetermine to accept the execution of the divided computation processingwhen the compensation corresponding to the type of the dividedcomputation processing is higher than a predetermined threshold value,and may determine not to accept the execution of the divided computationprocessing when the compensation corresponding to the type of dividedcomputation processing is lower than the predetermined threshold value.The predetermined threshold value may be determined based on a cost ofthe electrical power to be required for the divided computationprocessing.

The facility 200 may transmit, to the assignment management apparatus400, a message including an information element indicating whether ornot to accept the execution of the divided computation processing. Theassignment management apparatus 400 may re-execute the assignmentprocessing when receiving a message including an information elementindicating that the execution of the divided computation processing isnot accepted.

In such a case, the computing device 240 may receive a message includingthe information element specifying the type of divided computationprocessing, and may determine whether or not to accept the dividedcomputation processing. A device other than the computing device 240included in the facility 200 may receive a message including theinformation element specifying the type of divided computationprocessing, and may determine whether or not to accept the dividedcomputation processing.

Modification Example 7

Modification Example 7 of the embodiment will be described below. In thefollowing, differences from the embodiment will be mainly described.

In Modification Example 7, the assignment management apparatus 400 mayperform assignment processing based on a comparison result between acompensation corresponding to the type of corresponding computationprocessing and a compensation corresponding to the type of power source.As described above, the type of corresponding computation processingincludes at least one of the first computation processing and the secondcomputation processing. The compensation corresponding to the type ofpower source is a cost of the electrical power to be required fordivided computation processing. The cost of the electrical power to berequired for the divided computation processing may be the power sellingprice of the surplus power or may be the power purchasing price of thesystem power.

Specifically, the assignment management apparatus 400 performsassignment processing to the computing device 240 where the compensationcorresponding to the type of corresponding computation processing ishigher than the compensation corresponding to the type of power source,without performing the assignment processing to the computing device 240where the compensation corresponding to the type of correspondingcomputation processing is lower than the compensation corresponding tothe type of power source. According to such a configuration, it ispossible to reduce disadvantages of the facility 200 caused by theassignment of divided computation processing.

Other Embodiments

Although the present disclosure has been described by theabove-described embodiment, it should be understood that the descriptionand the drawings which form a part of this disclosure do not limit thisdisclosure. Various alternative embodiments, examples, and operationaltechniques will be apparent from this disclosure to those skilled in theart.

Although not particularly described in the embodiment, the computingdevice 240 (distributed computing device) is placed in the facility 200.The computing device 240 placed in the facility 200 may include thecomputing device 240 placed within the facility 200 and may include thecomputing device 240 placed outside the facility 200.

Although not particularly described in the embodiment, the assignmentmanagement apparatus 400 may perform the assignment processing such thatdemand power (flow power) to be supplied from the power system 20 to thefacility 200 does not exceed a threshold value in the unit time (forexample, 30 minutes). The demand power for the unit time may be referredto as a demand value. The control for monitoring the demand power suchthat the demand power does not exceed a threshold value in the unit timemay be referred to as demand monitoring. Alternatively, the control forsuppressing the demand power such that the demand power does not exceedthe threshold value in the unit time may be referred to as peak cutcontrol.

In the embodiment, the solar cell device has been exemplified as thedistributed power supply 210 that utilizes renewable energy to outputelectrical power. However, the embodiment is not limited to thisexample. The distributed power supply 210 that utilizes the renewableenergy to output the electrical power may include a wind powergeneration device, may include a hydraulic power generation device, mayinclude a biomass power generation device, and may include a geothermalpower generation device.

In the embodiment, the prediction value of the power consumption of thefacility 200 is used, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. Inplace of the prediction value of the power consumption of the facility200, the prediction value of the demand power of the facility 200 may beused. The demand power of the facility 200 is a difference between thepower consumption of the facility 200 and the output power of thedistributed power supply 210. In other words, when the differencebetween the output power of the distributed power supply 210 and thepower consumption of the facility 200 is a negative value, it may beconsidered such a difference is referred to as the demand power (or flowpower). When the difference between the output power of the distributedpower supply 210 and the power consumption of the facility 200 is apositive value, it may be considered such a difference is referred to asthe surplus power (or reverse flow power).

In the embodiment, all of the facilities 200 have the distributed powersupply 210, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. There may be thefacility 200 that does not have the distributed power supply 210.

Although not particularly described in the embodiment, the output power(hereinafter, referred to as green power) of the distributed powersupply 210 that utilizes renewable energy to output electrical power andthat is placed in the facility 200 may be used only for the computingdevice 240 or may be primarily used for the computing device 240.Furthermore, the power storage device is placed in the facility 200, theremaining green power after being used by the computing device 240 ischarged in the power storage device, and an amount of electrical powerthat is insufficient to perform the computation processing may bedischarged from the power storage device when the green power suppliedfrom the distributed power supply 210 is lower than the electrical powerto be used in the computing device 240. When the green power is usedonly for the computing device 240, the power storage device may chargeonly green power, and the green power can be efficiently used only forthe computing device 240. When the green power is primarily used for thecomputing device 240, the green power or the output power of the powerstorage device may be used in a load device other than the computingdevice 240 under a predetermined condition. The predetermined conditionmay be a case in which the facility 200 is in a state of power outage.The predetermined condition may be a case where the power purchasingprice of the system power is higher than the predetermined thresholdvalue. Instead of using the green power for the load device, forexample, when the power purchasing price of the system power is lowerthan the predetermined threshold value, the output power of the systempower may be used for the computing device 240 or may be charged in thepower storage device. It is sufficient that the output power of thesystem power or the amount of electrical power to be charged in thepower storage device is less than or equal to the amount of green powerused in the load device.

Although not particularly described in the embodiment, an apparatus(control) that determines the executability of the computationprocessing by the computing device 240 is not limited to the assignmentmanagement apparatus 400, and may be the computing device 240 or otherexternal devices. Furthermore, the apparatus that determines theexecutability of the computation processing by the computing device 240may vary depending on the type of power source or the type ofcorresponding computation processing. For example, the determination ofthe executability by the computing device 240 using only the systempower may be performed by the computing device 240, and thedetermination of the executability by the computing device 240 using thedistributed power supply 210 may be performed by the external device.Based on the determination result of each device, the assignmentmanagement apparatus 400 may receive a message including an informationelement indicating the executability of the computation processing bythe computing device 240.

In the embodiment, one assignment management apparatus 400 is used, butthe embodiment is not limited thereto. In addition to the case of oneassignment management apparatus 400, a plurality of assignmentmanagement apparatuses 400 may be used. For example, there may be theassignment management apparatus 400 that assigns divided computationprocessing to the computing device 240 of the facility 200 having thedistributed power supply 210, and the assignment management apparatus400 that assigns divided computation processing to the computing device240 of the facility 200 not having the distributed power supply 210. Forexample, the assignment processing is constituted by a first step ofdetermining whether or not the computation processing can be performedby the computing devices 240 based on various information elements, anda second step of determining which computing devices 240 are to beassigned with pieces of divided computation processing from among thecomputing devices 240 determined to be capable of performing thecomputation processing. Thus, there may be the assignment managementapparatus 400 that performs the first step and the assignment managementapparatus 400 that performs the second step.

In the embodiment, the assignment management apparatus 400 receives theassignment-related message from the facility 200, but the embodiment isnot limited thereto. The assignment-related message may be received fromthe facility 200 via the power management apparatus 300 or an externaldevice, and in this case, the assignment-related message can beconsidered to be received from the facility 200.

In the embodiment, the name of the power management system is used, butthe embodiment is not limited thereto. The power management system maybe replaced with a distributed processing system. Similarly, the powermanagement method may be replaced with a distributed processing method.

Although not specifically mentioned in the embodiment, the electricalpower may be instantaneous power (kW) or may be an integrated poweramount (kWh) in a certain period (for example, 30 minutes). For example,the planned value and the actual value may be represented by using anintegrated power amount (kWh).

1. A power management system comprising: a management apparatusconfigured to assign divided computation processing constituting atleast a part of predetermined computation processing to a distributedcomputing device placed in a facility, wherein the management apparatuscomprises a receiver configured to receive a message comprising aninformation element indicating a type of a power source configured toidentify electrical power allowed as electrical power to be used by thedistributed computing device; and a controller configured to performassignment processing to assign the divided computing processing to thedistributed computing device based on the type of the power source. 2.The power management system according to claim 1, wherein the powersource comprises at least one of surplus power of the facility, outputpower of a distributed power supply placed in the facility, and systempower to be supplied from a power system connected to the facility. 3.The power management system according to claim 2, wherein the controllerperforms the assignment processing based on a power selling price of thesurplus power when the power source is the surplus power of thefacility.
 4. The power management system according to claim 2, whereinthe controller performs the assignment processing based on a predictionvalue of the output power of the distributed power supply when the powersource is the output power of the distributed power supply.
 5. The powermanagement system according to claim 2, wherein when the distributedpower supply is a power storage device, the controller performs theassignment processing based on a residual amount of electricity of thepower storage device.
 6. The power management system according to claim2, wherein the controller performs the assignment processing based on apower purchasing price of the system power when the power source is thesystem power.
 7. The power management system according to claim 1,wherein the controller performs the assignment processing in such amanner that demand power to be supplied to the facility from the powersystem connected to the facility does not exceed a threshold value in aunit time.
 8. The power management system according to claim 2, whereinthe information element is configured in such a manner that two or moretypes of power sources are capable of being specified as the type of thepower source.
 9. The power management system according to claim 8,wherein the controller identifies a power source to be used by thedistributed computing device from among the two or more power sourcesbased on a power selling price of the surplus power and a powerpurchasing price of the system power, and performs the assignmentprocessing based on the identified power source.
 10. The powermanagement system according to claim 1, wherein the controller performsthe assignment processing for two or more distributed computing devicesindividually placed in two or more facilities, and performs theassignment processing in such a manner that a distributed computingdevice for which an identified power source is allowed as the powersource satisfies a predetermined condition.
 11. The power managementsystem according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined conditioncomprises at least one of a condition where the number of distributedcomputing devices each of which is configured to use, as a power source,output power of a distributed power supply configured to use renewableenergy and to output electrical power, is equal to or larger than acertain number, a condition where a ratio of the number of greencomputing devices each of which is a computing device configured to use,as a power source, output power of a distributed power supply configuredto use renewable energy and to output electrical power, with respect toa total number of the distributed computing devices, is equal to orlarger than a certain ratio, a condition where power consumption of thegreen computing devices each of which is a computing device configuredto use, as a power source, output power of a distributed power supplyconfigured to use renewable energy and to output electrical power, isequal to or larger than a certain amount, and a condition where a ratioof the power consumption of the green computing devices each of which isa computing device configured to use, as a power source, output power ofa distributed power supply configured to use renewable energy and tooutput electrical power, with respect to a total power consumption ofcomputing devices each of which processes predetermined computationprocessing, is equal to or larger than a certain ratio.
 12. The powermanagement system according to claim 1, wherein the controller performsthe assignment processing based on a request level of the predeterminedcomputation processing.
 13. A power management method to be used in apower management system, the power management system comprising amanagement apparatus configured to assign divided computation processingconstituting at least a part of predetermined computation processing toa distributed computing device placed in a facility, the powermanagement method comprising: receiving, by the management apparatus, amessage comprising an information element indicating a type of a powersource configured to identify electrical power allowed as electricalpower to be used by the distributed computing device; and performing, bythe management apparatus, assignment processing to assign the dividedcomputation processing to the distributed computing device based on thetype of the power source.